A jury has heard closing speeches in the trial of a man accused of murdering a nine-year-old girl.
Lilia Valutyte was playing outside a shop where her mother was working in Boston, Lincolnshire, when she was stabbed to death by Deividas Skebas on 28 July 2022.
Skebas, 26, admits killing Lilia but denies murder, arguing that his responsibility was diminished due to his mental state.
Jurors at Lincoln Crown Court heard that three doctors agreed Skebas had schizophrenia and was experiencing symptoms of psychosis on the day of the killing. The prosecution, however, alleges the attack was “deliberate and planned”.
In his closing address on Monday, prosecutor Christopher Donnellan KC told the jury that Skebas had been “prowling” the area before the attack. He said Skebas was not an “unintelligent man” and urged jurors to consider evidence from medical clinician Laura Cross, who assessed Skebas shortly after the killing and found no signs of psychosis.
The court also heard that Skebas had bought the knife from a local Wilko store two days before the stabbing.
Defence barrister Andrew Campbell-Tiech KC said Skebas, who suffers from schizophrenia, killed Lilia after hearing voices. He told the jury that expert psychiatric evidence supported the defence claim that Skebas’ responsibility was diminished by his mental illness at the time.
“That is what he told the police,” Mr Campbell-Tiech said.
The trial continues on Tuesday when Mr Justice Choudhory is expected to complete his summing up before the jury retires to consider its verdict.
